be installed by mid-November 2017,
was unrealistic. In October, Gar. W.

Chiseller, an administrative law judge
with the Florida Division of Adminis-
trative Hearings, ruled that “it was im-
possible for the vast majority of
nursing homes” and assisted living
facilities to comply with the orders by
the deadline.

Gov. Scott initially said he would
appeal the decision, and a
spokesman for the governor said the
administration will continue to work
with the legislature to make the gen-
erator rules permanent.

The FHCA has asked that Medi-
caid, which covers about 60 percent
of the nursing home days – to cover
a corresponding amount of the costs.

This would result in a cost to the
state of $53.8 million. Federal match-
ing dollars would absorb another
$84.1 million.

Meanwhile, the industry says it is
working to be compliant with the
new rules – it just needs more time.

“Some of our members are al-
ready compliant, they were before
the emergency rule, and the rest are
working towards compliance now,”
Steve Bahmer told the Wall Street
Journal. Bahmer is chief executive at
LeadingAge Florida, which repre-
sents both nursing and assisted living
facilities. In January, the industry made
peace with revised regulations, when
Gov. Scott changed the rules so that
assisted living facilities no longer
must have generators, but instead
are required to have ready access to
an alternative power source in the
event of a power loss.

The proposed fuels supply rules
also were revised: Those with 16
beds or less must have two days of
fuel; those with 17 or more beds
must have three days. Any facilities in
an area where an emergency has
been declared must acquire four
days of fuel.

“Throughout this process, we have
remained supportive of the gover-
nor’s original intent — to ensure vul-
nerable Floridians are kept safe
during emergency situations,” Gail
Matillo, president of the Florida Sen-
ior Living Association, was quoted as
saying in the SunSentinel.

“We believe these rules will bene-
fit both Florida seniors and the com-
munities invested in providing them
with quality living environments,” she
said. Florida alleges Jacksonville contractor conducted
$1.8 million workers’ compensation scam
Florida Construction News staff writer
Florida chief financial officer (CFO)
Jimmy Patronis says Jeovane Fe-
lizardo, owner of JJF Construction
Services, LLC in Jacksonville has
been arrested after a workers’ com-
pensation fraud investigation re-
vealed that he allegedly used various
local money service businesses to
cash checks in an alleged attempt to
illegally conceal his total payroll from
his workers’ compensation insurance
provider to avoid higher premium
costs. Investigators discovered that Fe-
lizardo provided false payroll totals to
his workers’ compensation provider
and misrepresented his employee’s
class codes, a CFO news release
said. Felizardo reported his total payroll
to be $76,799 when signing up for
his policy. Based on the declared
payroll amount and the reported em-
ployee class codes, Felizardo’s insur-
ance company determined the
premium for his workers’ compensa-
tion policy to be $24,894, the CFO
asserted. Florida corporate records indicate JJF
Construction Services operated from
7035 Phillips Hwy. Jacksonville
After further investigation by the
Bureau of Insurance Fraud, investiga-
tors found that Felizardo cashed a
minimum of 540 checks from April
16, 2016 to April 16, 2017 all issued
by contractors doing business with
JJF Construction Services totaling
$5,929,534. The contractors con-
firmed that the checks issued were
only to cover labor costs and not any
material costs associated.

Felizardo’s failure to accurately re-
port payroll and class codes to his in-
surer resulted in a gross
underpayment of insurance premi-
ums. Had the actual amount of Fe-
lizardo’s payroll and proper class
codes been reported to his worker’s
compensation provider, the resulting
premium rate would have been
$1,841,137, a difference of
$1,816,243. Felizardo was arrested Jan. 12,
2018 at his place of residence and
transported to the Duval County Jail
without incident. He has been
charged with workers compensation
fraud and scheme to defraud. Jail
records indicate he was released on
$100,000 bond.

Records at the Florida Division of
Corporations indicate that JJF Con-
struction Services LLC was adminis-
tratively dissolved on on Sept 22 for
failing to file an annual report. Fe-
lizardo is listed as the company’s
registered agent, at 7035 Philips
Hwy. Suite 37, Jacksonville.

This case will be prosecuted by
Joe Licandro of the Fourth Judicial
Circuit State Attorney’s Office. If con-
victed, Felizardo could face up to 60
years in prison.

Florida Construction News — MARCH 2018 – 5